property viewing checklist - pros and cons

toezilla

Doe anyone have like a property viewing pros and cons/ comparison checklist sheet kind of thing, or know where i can get one from...

Property 1 property 2
Bedroom 1 sized... Bedroom 1 sized
off street parking no off street parking

that kind of thing....

flora48

I made my own chart for exactly this purpose using tables in my word processor. Most useful it was too.

googler

Sizes will be on agent's details - paste these into Excel or another spreadsheet, and use it to calculate sq m of each room, and sum these to give total usable living area for comparison.

In Scotland, every seller has to provide a Home Report, including a surveyor's report, when placing their house on the market. The headings are in standard form for every report and may provide you with a starting point -

Structural Movement
Dampness Rot or Infestation
Chimney Stacks
Roofing
Rainwater Fittings
Main Walls
Windows, external doors and joinery
External Decoration
Conservatories/Porches
Communal Areas
Garages and Outbuildings
Outside areas and boundaries
Ceilings
Internal Walls
Floors
Internal joinery, kitchen fittings
Chimney breasts and fireplaces
Internal Decoration
Cellars
Electricity
Gas
Water, Plumbing, Bathroom Fittings
Heating and Hot Water
Drainage

Take a good long look at each category and don't gloss over them.

There's maybe things you want to add, like

Satellite/Cable/Regular TV? One TV point, or more?
Number of Mains Sockets
Number of telephone sockets
etc

barvid

Take a sheet of paper, draw a table on it with two columns headed Property 1 and Property 2, then add all the criteria you like down the side. Voila, one comparison sheet.

toezilla

yeah have done that.... just trying to think of things i dont want to forget to include such as epc ratings, how long been on the market, then all the rooms and sizes etc etc want it to be a detailed checklist so we can really compare we got 3 properties we interested in

googler

Does anyone really CARE about EPC ratings....?

You might want a Red/Amber/Green system for each room, as in Must/Could/Don't Need to redecorate.

Council Tax Band

toezilla

yeah thats good idea the red amber green.

I spoke to a conveysor who said depending on the EPC rating, if its low ie e-f-g, then room to negotiate in the price to improve the effeciency on the building

verydeeppockets

I used to do EPCs. Seriously, they are a waste of space. Inaccurate, cover-all guesswork. If you can get money off a property through a poor EPC go for it, but don't compare houses on the strength of their ratings. As an example, if the assessor couldn't get in the loft the whole thing is worthless.
What googler has said makes sense - roof, gutters, boiler, fusebox, water pipes, damp proof course bridging, the list is endless.
Ignore decor! Take a builder or keen DIYer along for the ride as they may well pick up on things you'd miss.
That's ignoring external things like schools, shops, crime rates etc.

geoffky

look in the attic is a must for me.

billybear1

Out of interest... Why look in the attic, we get asked to but never do. What am I missing?

G_M

billybear1 wrote: »

Out of interest... Why look in the attic, we get asked to but never do. What am I missing?

(some of these are minor matters, some potentially more serious - but all can be easily checked)

* is it insulated? how efficiently?
* is the water tank covered? And insulated (but not underneath)
* does the ballcock in the water tank operate smoothly/efficiently?
* wiring is usually exposed so you can see if it's 30 year old rubber or modern stuff
* check for damp timbers/smell of damp/smell of fresh air & ventilation (good!)
* check for leaks if it's raining
* look at tiles during daylight? Cracked/missing tiles you'll see the daylight come through (unless there's roof felt)
* check for birds nests/wasps/virmin
* check for signs of DIY eg removal of cross-timbers to make way for a dormer window....

others may have further tips


Always take a good torch - many attics have no lighting.